In the course of manufacturing a display panel, a test line is typically designed in the display panel. The test line is a line reserved for the development or research personnel to test signals in the display panel. This line is only dedicated to the development or research personnel, whereas it does not function when the user uses the display panel normally.
However, in practical use, the test line may also have a negative impact on the normal operation of the display panel. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) phenomenon occurs at positions where the test line overlaps other signal lines in the display panel. The electrostatic discharge on the test line would cause the signal lines connected to the test line to show line fault in the display panel.
At present, the electrostatic discharge problem of the display panel is mainly solved by: (1) deploying an electrostatic protection circuit in the display panel, which is usually electrically connected to the signal line in the display panel; (2) maintaining the display panel by a maintenance staff when the user encounters the electrostatic discharge problem in use, and removing the part that causes electrostatic discharge. However, a separate electrostatic protection circuit needs to occupy more wiring space within the display panel, which is disadvantageous to thinning and portability of the display panel, and increases the wiring complexity and the manufacturing cost. On the other hand, the maintenance does not fundamentally solve the electrostatic discharge problem, and not only leads to additional consumption of human and material resources, but also degrades the user experience.
In view of the above, there is a need for improved display panel and display device.